Insisting that there was no attempt to downplay the interview, DD said that “important portions of the interview were used in all the important bulletins of DD News also....It was given wide pre-telecast publicity and (the interview) was repeated the next day.”
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said that his ministry does not interfere in Doordarshan's news agenda as it has an “arm's length relationship with Prasar Bharati, which is an autonomous broadcaster by an act of Parliament.”